The present invention relates to an apparatus that allows a player to quietly play a reed instrument, e.g. while practising.
The normal method of playing a reed instrument (e.g. clarinet, oboe, saxophone, bassoon) is well known. The user blows such that the reed vibrates, thus introducing a complex set of tones into the instrument. A resonant cavity is provided, having a plurality of keys. Depending upon which key(s) are depressed, resonance is produced such that a standing acoustic wave is formed that matches the resonance of the cavity. In this way the traditionally known notes are formed.
Typically when practising, it is desirable to reduce the noise output of reed instruments out of courtesy for those in the vicinity.
US 2014/0224100 A1 describes a system for use with bagpipes in which the normal reed is replaced with transducer apparatus comprising a speaker and a microphone. The speaker delivers sound to an air chamber of the bagpipes, the speaker being driven by a test signal comprising a periodic signal consisting of linear chirps, each linear chirp comprising only frequencies above 16 Khz, i.e. outside the audible range. The microphone detects the sound delivered to the air chamber and then the signal played by the speaker is correlated with the signal detected by the microphone to yield the response function of the acoustic system and thereby the musical note played by the instrument.